Selling the West - Company offers cowboy experience close to town
BILLINGS - Kenneth Bauerly, now 93, watched his five great-grandkids squirming and giggling as they got matched to a horse for a trail ride just east of Billings.
Warning: Debt crisis ahead - Economists urge action in Washington
WASHINGTON - The Founding Fathers left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but which affects us all. It’s the national debt.
Big pack maker looks to grow - Mystery Ranch’s sales up 300 percent
BOZEMAN - As many businesses barely hang on during a worldwide recession, the owners of Mystery Ranch backpacks are eyeing an expansion.
Powering the 'cloud’ has consequences
The infrastructure of the Internet - rather than a single home or office PC - provides most of the power and data storage behind cloud computing.
Skyline icons going 'green’ - Empire State Building, others get environmentally friendly retrofits
NEW YORK - When owners of the Empire State Building decided to blanket its towering facade this year with thousands of insulating windows, they were only partly interested in saving energy.
Getting ahead
New business
Danielle Schulz of Farm Bureau Financial Services has opened a second office in Missoula at 316 Expressway. Farm Bureau is a full-service insurance and financial office. Schulz can be reached at 541-6811.
The more you know - Gift shop melds shopping with environmental education
MAMMOTH, Wyo. - Shoppers may be more educated when buying these days, but how many are enlightened in the same place that they ponder their purchase?
Redbox takes on Netflix’s red envelopes - Companies battle each other for share of video rental pie
BELLEVUE, Wash. - With more subscribers than ever flocking to its DVD-by-mail service, Netflix Inc. is one of the few companies to prosper during the worst U.S. recession in 70 years. Yet Netflix CEO Reed Hastings still has something to worry about: an even cheaper DVD rental service run by one of his former lieutenants.
States ask company to comply with laws - Attorneys general want drivers properly classified
HELENA - Attorneys general from Montana and seven other states last week asked FedEx Corp. to ensure that FedEx Ground properly classifies its drivers to comply with state employee protection laws.
Generations all deal with tough times
Our senior citizens have a lot to teach us, particularly when it comes to navigating tough times.
Data centers enable cloud computing
Two weeks ago I described “cloud computing,” possibly one of the next big changes in the way people use the Internet and its resources. Working in the “cloud” has been brought about by the vast connectivity of the Internet and the desire to work away from a home or office PC, as well as being heavily promoted by the large companies who supply cloud services.
Big Oil poised for return to Iraq
BAGHDAD - More than three decades after they were booted from the country by Saddam Hussein, international oil companies are poised for a return to Iraq where next week they will bid for a slice of the country’s vast crude reserves.
Lenovo changes laptop keyboard
Lenovo put nearly a year of research into two design changes that debuted on an updated ThinkPad laptop last week. No, not the thinner, lighter form or the textured touchpad - rather, the extra-large “Delete” and “Escape” keys.
Getting Ahead
New business
Tamara Williams has started a new business, T.A. Williams G.G., R.G.A. Jewelry Appraisals Inc. Williams has been in retail jewelry sales in Missoula for 21 years and earned her graduate gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America. She is a registered gemologist appraiser through the International School of Gemology. Williams will provide insurance replacement appraisal and can be reached at 239-5517 or blingappraizr@Q.com.
Don’t wait any longer to book summer flights
MINNEAPOLIS - If you’ve been waiting for the lowest possible airfare for a trip this summer, it may be time to get off the fence.
Power potential - Man works to revive Whitefish hydroelectric plant
WHITEFISH - Abandoned and lonely, this old hydroelectric plant has sat untouched for nearly two decades. Few records and even fewer people with knowledge of the plant can be found today. Right now it’s a turbine of mystery, but it may soon buzz with electricity again.
Bonuses skyrocket for rural teachers - Oil, gas tax collections boost pay for educators in Rau School District
BILLINGS - Rural Montana school teachers in oil-rich counties hit the jackpot last year as bonuses tied to oil and gas profits surged.
Advice to set up digital converter
I’m going to continue on data centers and cloud computing next week and write one last column on the digital TV change.
Review need before upgrading gadgets, services
Cell phone service
There are lots of things you can do to save money on your monthly cell phone bill - including getting rid of it. Take a hard look at your last bill. Did you use most or all of your minutes or did you make 10 calls? How many text messages did you send? What about Internet access? Once you know a little more about your actual needs, find a plan that fits you. Do you ...
Getting ahead
Promotions
Lisa Samsel and Kevin Wilson were promoted to team leaders at the Missoula DirecTV Call Center.
Real estate investing receives online boost
LOS ANGELES - Look closely at some of the hottest housing markets in the nation right now and you’ll find many of the homebuyers driving up the sales figures are real estate investors.
Capitalizing on luxury sector’s woes
NEW YORK - With luxury retailers in a major slump, this is a great time to find deals on luxury handbags, apparel and accessories. Here are five ways to capitalize on the luxury sector’s woes.
Bankers: Economy weak, worst is over
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A new survey of rural bankers in 11 Midwest and Plains states suggests the region’s economy remains weak, but the bankers believe the worst of the recession has passed.
Target vs. Wal-Mart - Stores battle one another to maintain, gain customers in recession
NEW YORK - Target Corp. is going bananas to keep up with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Research suggests power source dying down - Global warming may be causing winds to slow in western Montana
WASHINGTON - The wind, a favorite power source of the “green” energy movement, seems to be dying down across the United States. And the cause, ironically, may be global warming - the very problem wind power seeks to address.
Most not buying into N.D. law - State measure makes it easier for shareholders to challenge management
BISMARCK, N.D. - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has found a new corporate home for a railroad car manufacturer he controls - in North Dakota.
Home PC is anywhere with cloud computing
Last week, Google introduced a new service called Wave, which helps introduce users to “cloud computing.”
Getting ahead
New owners
Mike and Trina Dimmitt have purchased the Missoula Batting Cages, 3205 Fort Missoula Road. Mike has 15 years experience coaching T-ball to Senior Level, is an ASA umpire and has played on a number of Missoula softball teams. The Missoula Batting Cages have been expanded from two softball cages to three and a fast-pitch softball machine has been added. Open April through September; Monday - Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday, 3-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10a.m.- 10 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit www.missoulabattingcages.com or call 546-9445.
Company to remove trees near state prison
DEER LODGE (AP) - A company has a contract to cut dead or dying lodgepole pine trees this summer on state land near the state prison in Deer Lodge.
Livestock report
The Missoula Livestock Exchange posted 253 receipts for June 11.
